The most common type of real estate transaction is an on-market sale. An apartment owner who is interested in selling their property lists it with a broker, the broker markets the deal to the public, in today’s competitive market a bidding war ensues and the contract is generally awarded to the highest bidder. The more uncommon transaction type is an off-market sale, where an apartment owner who is interested in selling their property does so without enlisting the help of a broker.

If you're an apartment investor who’s looking to expand your portfolio, to find the best deal, focus on off-market opportunities. It is true that an on-market opportunity is much easier to find. However, due to being highly marketed by a broker, the proceeding bidding war will result in an artificially high sale price. Conversely, off-market opportunities can be more difficult to find, but the financial benefits of acquiring an apartment directly from an owner are worth the time investment.

If an owner can get a higher sales price by listing their apartment with an agent, common sense dictates that they’ll be resistant to selling it off-market. However, by bypassing a broker and selling directly to a buyer, there are three main ways the apartment owner will benefit. By understanding these benefits, you, the buyer, can put yourself in the best position to negotiate with pure intentions -- since both parties will benefit from the transaction -- and the better you're able to communicate these benefits to the seller, the better chance you have of securing a contract.

1. Higher Profit

The first benefit an apartment owner has by selling their property off-market is that they will actually achieve a higher profit. That’s because of the cost savings associated with not hiring a broker.

Generally, in a real estate transaction, the seller is responsible for paying the broker’s fee. A listing broker charges anywhere between 2% and 6% of the purchase price. Moreover, listing on-market increases the chances of the buyer being represented by a broker who charges the same fee. On a $5 million sale, the seller would lose between $200,000 and $600,000 in pure profit.

But, by purchasing the apartment off-market, the seller will benefit by saving between 4% and 12% of the final sale price.